Flux-coated electrode



July 1, 1930. ,A. M. ROSS FLUX COATED ELECTRODE Original Filed April 12, 1927 INVENTOR Patented July 1, 1930 Um'rso STATES ALBERT M. ROSS, Oil JACKSON H EIGHTS, YORK FLUX-COATED mnc'rnona Beflle of application Serial no. 188,146,111ed April 12, 1927. This application filed r m 29, man. Beriai v No. 443,402. I

This invention relates to flux-coated electrodes and constitutes a. refiling of application Serial No. 183,146, filed April 12, 1927.

In the manufacture of electrodes for arc welding it is desirable to coat a metallic core with a welding flux or arc-sustaining material which will assist in the operation of welding, and my invention relates articularly to electrodes of the type in whlch such a flux is used.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide means whereby this coating of flux on the exterior surface of a core ma beretained and to avoid the flakin or c ipping' oil of the flux and particular y to prevent the flux coating from being chi ped ofl during the feedin of the wire in tlie feedin of the electrode t rough an automatic wel ing unit. a

Another object of my invention is to produce a wire-wrapped electrode in which the wire will be so arran ed and distributed over the circumference o the core and will be so incorporated with the coating thereof as to cause the arc in welding to travel substantially along the axis of the core.

Another object of the invention is to pro"- duce an electrode for arc welding on which the flux will be held by an intermeshed or interwoven wire forming a series of-wire-separated and interstitial pockets around the circumference which pockets will be filled with the flux. lreferably the core is wrapped by a pair of wires moving simultaneously in opposite directions to orm pockets of diamond shape about this circumference which are subsequently filled in with the flux in paste form and which when dried is keyed on to the surface by said interwoven wires.

Another object of the invention 'ist0 produce an electrode which may be fed through feed rollers in automatic machines and may,

' without chipping or injury he clamped or pinched at any point inits circumference by the conventional feed rollers or electrode holders now employed in automatic arc weldi n machines. I

' tillanother object'of an invention is to provide in combination wit an electrode of the typespecified, a dioxidizing agent and wrap also one which, upon the crossing of the are, will melt with the core and will be sufiiciently light in relation to the fused welding metal of the core to float to the to of the welded metal so as to form a protecting scale or skin over the deposited material. Such protecting skin or scale will prevent the sticking to the surface of oxides which must either be removed or else will tend to crack any paint applied over it and, in the preferred embodiment, I provide an aluminum wire which provides an aluminum skin over the templated, and comprises in one of its adaptations the species or preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of an electrode ped with a plurality of strands of fine wire mtermeshing or interwoven with each other to provide an effective flux-retaining element having the members intermeshed or woven Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig:1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the inclusion within the intermeshin or-interwoven wire of an anti-dioxidizmg elee Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fi 3-; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on the ine 5-5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is, a diagrammatic viewof an electrode being sheathed by intermeshing strands of wireand thereafter. coated with flux and wiped. i

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, 1 indicates a central metallic core plurality of inter- V which is wrapped by a meshing or interwoven wires and, as shown, I provide a pair 2, 2 of these wires which are caused to intermesh or to be interwoven I about the periphery of the central metallic core 1. When two wires argemployed, they will cross each other at two oints on the peripheral surface or circum erence of the said core and will provide between the crossed strands a series of juxtaposed interstitial pockets 3 which, in the form shown, are substantially diamond-she ed in configuration.

This core having sai pocketed surface is preferably produced as illustrated in Fig. 6 by simultaneously winding strands 2,. 2 of wire about the core 1 preferably while the said core is being moved axially or longitu- 15. dinally.

The said pocketed core member thus formed is passed through a box 4 containing a flux 5 in paste form. This flux preferably has as a base 70% lime, the balance being made up of conventional dioxidizin a ents,

the whole being mixed with a suita leiinder such as glue, shellac or the like. As illustrated, the wrapped core having such surface pockets is passed through an opening 4 in one side of the container 4 and out through an opening 4* in the opposite side, after which it is passed through a wiping element 6 composed of an suitable material mounted in a bearing 7. e passage through the flux 5 in the box 4 causes the pockets to be thoroughly filled with this material and passage thereof through the hub or dye 4 causes this material to be thoroughly'packed into said pockets after which the passage through the wiper 6 will cause any excess material to be wiped from the surface so as to cause the interstitial pockets to be completely filled with the flux material as shown in Fig. 5. The electrode thus produced is dried either in the air or by suitable heating apparatus after which it is cut in lengths or coiled in any suitable manner.

When so dried the flux material will be thoroughly keyed in place and so firmly retained in position that it will not chi or flake either in coiling,-shipping or han ling and will re uire no more care in such operation than t e ordinary bare electrode wire. Furthermore, the electrode thus produced may be fed through feed rollers in automatic machines and may,

jury be clamped or pinched at any point in its circumference by the conventional feed rollers or electrode holders now em loyed in automatic arc welding machines. 11 applicantselectrode it will be seen that a portion of the intermeshing or interwoven wire will be in continuous contact with the feed roller and will prevent any pressure bein applied directly on the interstitial material eyed in, as aforesaid, between the strands of intermeshed or interwoven wire. This material may, after coiling, be straightened and cut for use in hand-weldin if desired, and I have found that the strai htening out of the without chipping or incoils of this wire will not cause a chipping of the flux.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown a modified form of my invention in which I have inserted between the core or base wire 1 and the mesh of wrapping wire a relatively thin aluminum wire 8. In making the electrode shown in Fi s. 3 and 4, the wire 8 is strung along with t e base wire 1 in any suitable manner and is then wrapped in the manner hereinabove described with the strands 2, 2' of wra ping wire which is thereafter passed throng a bath of flux and subsequentl wiped in the manner hereinabove describe In this form of my invention, the aluminum wire 8 comprises a dioxidizing agent and, upon crossing the arc, melts with the core, and because of its high specific gravity, it will flow to the top of the weld metal and will form a thin scale or skin over such deposited welded material, thus protecting the same from the formation of oxides which will be usually found to form on top of the deposited metal and which if not removed will tend to crack paint applied over it. By the use of my dioxidizing agent of high s ecific gravity, however, the aluminum s in over the weld will have sufiicient adherence to produce a surface which will not only be permanently connected to the welding metal, but which because of its property of nonadherence to the oxides, which are usually ferrous oxides, may consequently be brushed off the surface thereof. Paint may, therefore, be readily and evenly applied to this aluminum surface and as this surface is permanent and non-rackable, any paint app ied will likewise maintain a smooth non-cracked surface.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. An electrode for are weldin comprising a core formed of a fusible meta a sheathing of intermeshing wire surroundin said metallic core, and a flux composed o arcsustainin material filling the interstices between sai intermeshing wires.

2. An electrode for are weldin comprising a core formed of a fusible meta a sheathing of intermeshin wire surrounding said metallic core and a ux composed of arc-sustaining material filled into the interstitial pockets between the wires of said sheathing and having a ke in connection therewith.

3. An electrode ii are weldin comprisfiaking or ing a core formed of a fusible meta a sheathing composed of a mesh of wires formed of two strands wound in opposite directions to provide interstitial pockets substantially diamond shape in conformation and a flux composed of an arc-sustaining material filling said interstitial 4. An electro ing a core formed of a fusible metal, a sheathing of intermeshing wire surroundin said metallic core and a flux composed o areckets.

e for arc welding compris sustaining material filled into the interstitial pockets between the wires of said sheathing and having a keying connection therewith, said flux material having a surface flush with the surface of said sheathing of intermeshing' wire.

5. In an electric arc welding electrode comprising a metallic core havlng a coating or, covering of slag-producing materials, a metallic relnforcement consisting of woven wire sleeve fitted around'the core and embodied in the coating or covering to strengthen the same against breakage and against detachment from the core.

6. Inan electric arc welding electrode comprising a metallic core having a coating or covering of slag-producing materials, a metallic reinforcement consisting of stranded .wire braided around the core and embodied in the coating or'covering to strengthen same against breakage and against e from the core. 1 In witness whereof, I have signed my name as the foregoing specification.

ALBERT M. ROSS.

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